The present invention relates to stop-arm systems. More specifically, the present invention provides a modified camera embedded in a stop-arm for increasing driver vision and clarity of blind spots around school buses or other vehicles. A shield protects the camera from debris and contaminants until the stop-arm is deployed. The stop-arm with camera system may be employed by school buses and other vehicles to reduce fatalities among school-aged children and to reduce the incidents of accidents involving children, adults, cars, and the like.
Between the years 2000 and 2011, school buses have been involved in an average of 26,000 accidents each year, according to the NASS-GES (National Automotive Sampling System-General Estimates System) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. During this same period, an average of 19 school-age children have been killed in accidents labeled “By Own Bus.” Over a 30 year period, the record is even worse: During that period, an average of one child in the U.S. has been killed by his or her own bus each school week (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2000).
Children are at the greatest risk in what is known as the “Danger Zone,” a ten foot area on each side of the bus. A child who has fallen under their bus, has unthinkingly crawled under the bus to retrieve a dropped item, or has been caught by an article of clothing under the right side of the bus cannot be seen by the driver of the bus.
One child was caught by the handrail of a bus on the drawstring of her coat, dragged 50 feet and then run over and killed. Another child was dragged 3-4 feet and lived, suffering a broken leg. Another child was caught by his mitten string, dragged, and run over and killed. A child who escaped unharmed had crawled under the bus to place a milk carton in front of the right rear tire, in order to watch the bus crush it. The driver counted one child short and went to look. (Congressional Record Vol. 141, No. 62, 1995).
In all these cases, the child in peril was invisible to the driver, despite the existence of six mirrors on most school buses. State laws typically require bus drives to be buckled, and the most dangerous area near the right rear tire cannot be seen by the bus driver from his or her seat.
In light of these tragedies, the National Safety Transportation Association, National Association for Pupil Transportation recommends the following lifesaving procedures: “Before moving your bus know where the children are who have just disembarked. Don't move until you're certain you know where they are. If you have lost track of a child, do not move the bus, shut off and secure the bus, take the key, get out, and check around and underneath the bus. Err on the side of caution.”
Although these recommendations make sense, and have undoubtedly saved lives on many occasions, experienced bus drivers point out that leaving a bus may not be practical in some instances: With 60 children on a bus, leaving the bus invites the possibility that one of the unruly children will bully and hurt another child or even release the emergency brake. In addition, experienced bus drivers report that an outbreak of hitting and yelling in the back of the bus often requires the driver to look back in the bus to check on the present danger that someone is being hurt. Such a distraction often makes it difficult or impossible to keep accurate count of the children who have left the bus. Anyone who has ridden a school bus regularly will recall such distractions. Drivers report that a group of children sometimes becomes so uncontrollable that the drivers' only recourse is to radio the dispatcher to send for the police to remove the offenders.
An additional problem comes when other drivers pass illegally on the right of the bus. Surprising as it may seem, impatient drivers who pass on the right side of the bus also cause the deaths of school children. Even when children are not involved, a car pulling up on the right side of the bus may be unnoticed if it stops in the area not visible from the driver's seat. Seeing that the way appears clear for a right turn, the bus driver may turn into, and damage, the stopped vehicle.
Previously, Gloria Buley introduced a convex mirror system which gives a reverse image of the blind spots around the right side of school buses. However, in some instances, the view from the mirror can be distorted by the vibration of the school bus. Further, the image provided by the convex mirror system is reversed, which can cause confusion for some drivers. Although the mirror helps reveal the blind spots during the daylight, it offers little, if any, aid at night. Also, certain times of the day, like sunrise and sunset, a glare may occur in specific situations which can preclude a driver from using the mirror. Additionally, in some instances, the radius of curvature needed to view the blind spots may distort the image to the driver.
Existing cameras that may be attached a stop-arm do not provide increased vision and clarity with blind spots on the right side of school buses. Instead, existing cameras provide a limited field of view and merely capture license plates of illegally passing motorists on the left side of school buses, for example. Another problem with existing cameras is cleanliness. For example, current camera systems are often ineffective due to constant exposure to dirt, snow, road grime, and other debris.
Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of such systems with some aspects of the present invention as set forth in the remainder of the present application.